


one more time?

by hyekook



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Idol Verse, M/M, Soft Chwe Hansol | Vernon, Soft Xu Ming Hao | The8, but also not really, dk why thats not a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 12:48:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25849831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyekook/pseuds/hyekook
Summary: ‘’ah, sorry,’’ minghao’s voice comes out thick and accented, how it always gets when he’s a little frazzled.vernon grins at him all the same, ‘’no problem, hyung. let’s just do it one more time, yeah?’’or verhao through the years.
Relationships: Chwe Hansol | Vernon/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Comments: 10
Kudos: 83





	one more time?

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first time writing and completing a fic for svt so honestly just hoping for the best

vernon loved minghao from the minute he saw him. loved his shaved head and the way he danced through the room, hyping up the other trainees as he showcased his b-boying skills. loved the way minghao was fiercely passionate even as a youngling, dedicated to learning an entirely new language and culture so he could showcase his talents to an audience much bigger than the one in the practice room.

and minghao warmed up to vernon easily enough. vernon who stuck by minghao throughout the introductions, and evaluations, conversing with minghao daily as to improve his language. although words were not easy between the pair, vernon was generous with his patience and minghao was eternally grateful. so glad that he could get along with someone other than junhui, so glad that he came across someone as caring as vernon.

/

it’s cold when minghao ushers himself into the academy, chills rising on his arms from where he removes his padded jacket. winters in seoul are unbearable, minghao sighs as he brushes off the tiny snowflakes off his buzzcut. it used to get really cold in his hometown, as well, but those days were bearable. comforted in the warmth of his home.

winters in seoul are lonely. chilling him to the core of his soul, to his heart.

he makes it just in time, seeing vernon leave his vocal lessons with seungkwan who waves both of them goodbye. minghao waves back. evening lessons are the only feasible option for minghao after his extensive dance practice that mostly lasts the entire day, exhaustion resting heavy in his bones.

but he smiles softly as soon as he locks eyes with vernon.

vernon accepts him easily. wrapping an arm around his shoulder, bringing him close, closer, until minghao is entirely enveloped in vernon’s warmth. and minghao feels like this is as close to home he has felt in the longest. it frightens but excites him at the same time.

‘’hyung,’’ vernon whispers in his ear conspirately, ‘’did your homework?’’

‘’of course,’’ minghao replies smugly. he’s a diligent student despite his heavy schedule.

‘’let me copy it?’’

‘’of course,’’ minghao repeats easily. vernon grins bright and wide.

/

his english teacher is always tired but kind, gently poking minghao on the forehead with a ruler to make him focus on his course work when he gets too engrossed in a conversation with vernon. which is more gestures than words honestly.

vernon is giggling the third time he gets caught and minghao nudges him strongly with his boney elbow, effectively making him shut up. they work like that, quiet and comfortable in the silence, his teacher doing his own assigned reading on his desk. sometimes vernon quietly circles words in minghao's workbook where he has spelled them wrong or maybe used the wrong tense and minghao thanks him every time.

sometimes he wonders why vernon even attends these classes, until he witnesses him in the studio with the rest of the boys, speaking in a mix of konglish that only joshua would be able to understand. but he gets rid of those thoughts just as quickly as they pop up in his head, always grateful for vernon’s presence, not knowing what he would do without him.

whenever there’s ten minutes left till the lesson ends, their teacher always makes them test each other on what they learnt today. minghao looks over his list of verbs one last time before he turns back to vernon, ready as one can ever be. they go through the list smoothly until minghao gets stuck at how swimming is spelled.

‘’ah, sorry,’’ minghao’s voice comes out thick and accented, how it always gets when he’s a little frazzled.

vernon grins at him all the same, ‘’no problem, hyung. let’s just do it one more time, yeah?’’

/

it’s humid in the studio, too many bodies, too little space, everyone working themselves to the bone as they try to nail this choreo before their first evaluations. minghao’s hair has grown out a lot making him sigh as he pushes back the dark silky locks underneath a hat, he prefers the buzzcut on nights like these.

where he feels like his head would burst from the sheer heat of the room.

minghao’s taking a five minute break when he notices vernon through the mirror, working through the choreo with chan who looks more exasperated by the second. usually, chan is patient and collected when they work through the choreos, something about his work focus making him tune out everything but the thing he has to perfect right here, right _now_.

but they’ve been in this studio for way too long and minghao feels bad for chan. snaking up behind him, minghao clasps a firm hand on his shoulder and tells him to go home. ‘’i got this,’’ minghao starts with confidence, ‘’get some rest.’’

vernon flushes pink when chan leaves with a whoop, he mutters, ‘’i’m usually not this bad.’’

‘’it’s been a long day,’’ minghao replies instead, his body instantly getting into formation. ‘’let’s just do it one more time, yeah?’’

/

over the course of the years, minghao likes that he has only found more common interests with vernon. liking the way both of them share a deep love for art but mostly van gogh, hip hop has always been a constant between them, too many bus rides spent sharing earbuds and passionate commentary over rap.

minghao likes vernon. it’s not something he tries to hide. and sometimes, when minghao catches vernon’s eyes, the rapper smiles soft and gentle. like a secret only they know.

sometimes minghao thinks vernon likes him back.

currently they’re back at minghao’s room that he shares with junhui, laughing at something vernon has said, hip hop beats playing somewhere in the background as they try to catch their breath. under them are spare sheets laid on top of sheets, two canvases amidst the chaos surrounded by different paint pots.

vernon’s painting is a colourful mess with strong dark shadows depicting a lonely tree, something simple to start vernon had said earlier, minghao shook his head, _no art could ever be simple_ , he replied back. vernon smiled at him. in that secretive way he did sometimes.

minghao’s painting was a very abstract form of a sunset. _the blob is the sun, right,_ vernon had whispered right next to minghao’s ear and he tried his very best to not flush red like his painting at the proximity. _more than actual shapes, i just want to portray how a sunset makes me feel,_ minghao replied back and vernon nodded along easily.

vernon has finally settled down on his side of the room, working through the last decisive strokes of his painting when he hears a splash and then minghao’s anguish.

"noooo,’’ minghao sinks to the ground in great agony. through the haste of sitting down carefully, minghao accidentally tipped over the remains of a black paint pot, the colour finding its home between the warm tones of the sunset.

vernon softly pats minghao’s shoulder, ‘’it actually looks nice, hyung.’’ he doesn’t want his words to only be seen as comforting because it actually looks really nice, the black adding more depth than vernon could have thought.

minghao only shakes his head, clearly displeased with the outcome. ‘’it’s okay,’’ he begins with a sigh as if accepting his fate, he brings out two new canvasses from behind him, ‘’we can just do it one more time, yeah?’’

both of them grin at each other.

/

they’ve been on tour for a couple of months when minghao exits his hotel bathroom, towel ruffling through his wet mullet. he's surprised to see vernon sat on mingyu's bed, back pressed against the headboard as he reads a book.

although minghao does remember mingyu saying something about wanting to sleep with seungkwan tonight, he didn't remember that vernon was actually seungkwan's original roommate.

minghao courses through his room easily, taking out his skin care products and doing his little night time skincare routine, and throughout that, not a peep from vernon. maybe he's really engrossed in that book he's reading.

minghao is all set for bed when he approaches vernon, "what are you reading?"

as if snapping out of a daze, vernon grins up at minghao, "oh hyung!" he pats the empty space next to him and minghao tentatively sits down. vernon makes more space for him, presses himself against the wall as minghao presses himself against him.

"it's a book about van gogh's letters," vernon continues once minghao is fully settled next to him, head naturally resting on his shoulder, "super interesting, actually!" and minghao has always loved his animated expressions, as if his body was not made big enough to contain the sheer thrill of experiencing exciting things.

when minghao only nods, not knowing how to reply. vernon sets the book on their thighs pressed together, "do you want to read with me? the words are a little hard," he holds out his phone with a translator app propped open, "it reads like old korean, maybe to help keep the authenticity of his words, i'm not really sure.

minghao grins, "yeah.. i would love to."

vernon grins back. face flushed with a soft blush and eyes slowly disappearing from the sheer force of his smile.

"cool! right now i'm just asking jeonghan hyung about this word," he pinpoints a word on a sentence he has already underlined with a light pencil, "cause the translator app kinda sucks."

minghao is halfway through the letter when the translation comes through and vernon's face lights up in recognition, letting out a little "ah! that's what it means!" and minghao really can't help himself when he gently turns vernon's face towards himself, two fingers prodded under his jaw, directing his face.

vernon looks right back at him, his sentence left unfinished. minghao has always found vernon devastatingly beautiful and seeing him up close, he almost forgets to breathe. but the silence is stretching on too long and soon vernon will question him what’s wrong in the gentle tone that he always uses with minghao and he’s not sure if he could answer in coherent sentences.

so minghao chooses to close the distance between them. lips slotting together hastily as he presses soft kisses against vernon's rosy lips. vernon easily pliant under minghao’s touch, letting him kiss as much as he wants.

when they come up for air, minghao can feel the heat of his blush coursing through his body. he tries to bite down his sheepish grin, "ah, i'm sorry. i'm really bad at this."

vernon's face is alight with delight and he grins back, pearly white teeth bare and minghao absolutely adores the soft pink blush adorning his cheeks.

"me too," vernon chuckles. "let's just try one more time, yeah?"

/

**fin.**

**Author's Note:**

> hope u liked it!! please lmk if u did <3
> 
> i love verhao besties and bfs
> 
> also ijust finished this and its like 4 am so sorry for any major grammar mistakes!! will look over it in the morning


End file.
